Coming off her hit bestseller, Hamnet, Maggie O'Farrell returns with another gorgeous historical fiction novel set in Renaissance Italy. When her sister dies, Lucrezia de Medici unexpectedly marries her late sister's fiance, a man desperate for an heir. As Lucrezia ponders her new husband's nature - whether he is a kind sophisticate or a ruthless politician - she begins to suspect he is planning to kill her.

Maggie O'Farrell is a gorgeous writer, painting a striking portrait of Lucrezia's life. Highlighting the constrictions of life for medieval women, The Marriage Portrait's plot was slow to build, but the descriptive writing was captivating to read. An excellent read for anyone who loves literary historical fiction.